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FourFourTwo Arabia launches in the region

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International football magazine FourFourTwo launches in the UAE as fourfourtwoarabia.com. Published by Motivate Publishing, fourfourtwoarabia.com will be available in English and Arabic to offer football lovers across the Middle East insightful analysis and access to the biggest games, as well as advice on playing better and witty coverage of football matches.

“The launch of fourfourtwoarabia.com is another huge step for Motivate’s ever growing digital presence in the region,” says Mark Evans, Group Editor, Motivate Publishing. “It’s a site that football fans will love – covering all aspects of Middle East football, from club to international level, as well as the best of the English, Spanish and European leagues. And, importantly, it will be available in both English and Arabic. We’re big football fans here, so we can’t wait to get started.”

LinkedIn Marketing Awards launches

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LinkedIn has launched LinkedIn Marketing Awards across the Middle East and Europe. The new marketing awards aims to celebrate the best B2B campaigns and content across the region and is now open for entires to businesses of all sizes. The deadline for submissions will be on September 7, 2017 with the finalist to be shortlisted on September 18, 2017. Winners of the awards will be announced on October 5, 2017 and will be selected by a panel 20 of experts from various fields including creative, strategists, media planners and top B2B marketers from across region. The People’s Choice award will be the only award to be decided by the public vote.

The full category list and entries can be can be found on the awards website.

“Our platform is home to some of most innovative and creative B2B marketing on the planet and it’s time we gave these brands the recognition they deserve,” says Ziad Rahhal, Head of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, MENA, LinkedIn. “We are asking brands in the Middle East of all shapes and sizes, across any sector, for any budget, to submit their campaigns and help us show their brilliance to the world.”

The National relaunches in the UAE

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Abu Dhabi-based newspaper, The National has relaunched in the UAE following its acquisition by International Media Investments (IMI). The revamped newspaper takes on a new logo and a complete enhancement of its print and digital platforms as well as a focus on its digital content to include daily video content podcasts, live and interactive video interviews, and news across its social media platforms. The National will be available six days a week and will include a new 20-page weekend free supplement showcasing the newspaper’s coverage of arts and culture in the UAE as well as a London Bureau led by Damien McElroy as a Correspondent to ensure the coverage of round-the-clock relevant news. The newspaper will also feature a host of influential commentators across the fields of diplomacy, politics and finance as well as expanded sports and business news.

The new launch includes the appointment of Dan Gledhill to the role of Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Dan brings with him over 20 years of experience in journalism having worked at The Independent and The Daily Mail. In his new role, he will work alongside the Editor-in-Chief, Mina Al Oraibi to oversee the print and digital platforms of the newspaper.

Also joining the new team is Dan Owen, taking on the role of Head of Digital Strategy. Dan previously worked with Trinity Mirror and most recently with Seven Media. In his new role, he will head the digital department and lead the digital transformation of the The National.

“The National will have three objectives, create influential and intellectually challenging content, bring the UAE and Abu Dhabi’s perspective to the world, and lead in the region and internationally as a modern and digitally led newsroom,” says Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief, The National. “In short, The National will be your window to and from the Middle East.”

MENA Commerce undergoes full rebrand

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Marketing technology company, MENA Commerce has undergone a full rebrand, inclusive of a name change to Cognitev. The company’s new structure will focus on marketing from a semantic point of view and will include advanced technology utilising artificial intelligence as well as a new website.

“When established in 2015, Cognitev formerly known as MENA Commerce, focused on e-commerce rather than marketing, but we quickly realised that our technology is better equipped to provide unique value to advertisers and marketers across the world,” says Moustafa Mahmoud, Founder and CEO, Cognitev.

New wellness platform launches in the UAE

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Emilie Mikulla and Rebecca Pritchard have teamed up to launch wellness consultancy and platform The Mindful Body (themindfulbody.ae). The new consultancy will provide online and offline activities, such as classes, workshops and trainings as well as tailor-made solutions for individuals and corporations using research and therapeutic techniques to promote better living for everyone. The new platform aims to improve people’s quality of life through interviews with experts, inspiring content and helpful features on the mind, body and soul. Emilie was previously Deputy Editor at Women’s Health and Fitness Middle East and possesses 10 years’ experience teaching movement, including yoga and Pilates; and, myofascial release. With a background in marketing in the oil and gas industry, Rebecca previously worked as Editorial Assistant at Yogalife magazine and brings with her a strong knowledge in movement and mindful practices.

“With health risks and issues, such as obesity and anxiety on the rise, there is an urgent need to raise awareness and offer concrete solutions,” says Emilie Mikulla, Co-Founder, The Mindful Body. “We support the UAE’s Vision 2021 mission to reduce lifestyle-related diseases and have developed practical, safe and immediately applicable tools that can help everyone live better in their bodies.”

Rebecca Pritchard, Co-Founder, The Mindful Body adds, “Our approach is therapeutic. We combine yoga, pilates and mindfulness practices to help people breathe better, move with more ease and get out of their pain cycle so they can enjoy the activities they love for a lifetime.”

Chasing Zest goes live

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Online outdoor magazine, chasingzest.com launches in the UAE. The new platform aims to bring together a community of like-minded people, whilst also inspiring readers to make positive lifestyle changes. Founded by Rachael Bruford, who previously worked with Gulf News, Outdoor UAE and most recently Brideclubme.com – the magazine will focus on activities such as cycling, running and active traveling as a significant component during the summers. In addition, it will also feature qualified experts from fields such as nutrition, fitness, psychology and yoga to deliver articles and respond to queries from readers.

“We want our audience to think of chasingzest.com as their own personal inspiration website, full of features about how to embrace an active, outdoor lifestyle,” says Rachael Bruford, Founder, chazingzest.com. “With an inherent sense of adventure, we look forward to sharing rousing interviews with incredible people.”

Publicis Media launches new boards

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Publicis Media has introduced next generation boards across international and regional markets. The new boards, consisting of leaders from the media and digital industry, aim to foster collaborations and influence the direction of all brands within Publicis Media. The board for the MENA region includes:

  • Ravi Shekar, Associate Director at Publicis Media Analytics and Insights
  • Khaled Gaber, Senior Client Management at Zenith
  • Ghina Marouf, Associate Media Director at Mediavest | Spark
  • Amir Antoun, Media Director at Starcom
  • Sajid Ismail, Senior Manager – Social Strategy at Publicis Media
  • Aneesha Hingorani, Associate Director at Zenith
  • Omar Madi, Director – Performance Media at Perfomics

“The launch of the next generation boards is about challenging and disrupting how we currently do things, to the benefit of all stakeholders,” says Steve King, CEO, Publicis Media. “We had our first global board meeting earlier this month, which ran in parallel with the global Publicis Media board and we were incredibly impressed with the proposals that were presented, some of which we have already started to adopt.”  

C&B launches influencer marketing arm

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Cicero & Bernay Public Relations (C&B) launches an influencer communication programme, See & Be. Headed by Jamal H. Iqbal, Director – Brand Outreach at C&B, the new division aims to incorporate influencer engagement into communication campaigns by identifying an ideal match between influencers and client objectives.

“With the speed at which social media has penetrated the region’s consumers, and their affinity towards local influencers, we felt now was the time for new-age PR agencies such as ours to launch a full fledged influencer communication division,’ says Jamal. “See & Be is aimed at streamlining the disjoint between influencer programme leaders and implementers. While influencers and their social media offer optimised channels for delivery, content still rules, and campaigns must be charted keeping in mind granular accountability at every stage.”